Most trailers that are towed by vehicles are connected to the vehicle's electrical system. The vehicle's electrical system powers and operates the trailer lights (e.g., running lights, turn signals, brake lights, etc.) and often the trailer brakes. Usually the trailer has a standard “pigtail” electrical connector—typically a male plug—that inserts into a female receptacle on the vehicle. The receptacle on the vehicle may be either original equipment installed by the manufacturer, or an after-market device installed by the consumer. After the trailer has been mechanically attached to the towing vehicle, the electrical system is connected and it is checked to verify proper operation and electrical connections.
There are many standard electrical interface connections between the vehicle and the trailer, including 7 terminal sockets, 6 terminal sockets, and 4 terminal flat sockets to name a few examples. The specific type of electrical interface connector used on any give vehicle and trailer combination depends upon several factors, including the age of the towing vehicle, the age of the trailer, the electrical demands of the trailer, etc. For connectors of the receptacle type, the towing vehicle's receptacle is typically mounted by installing an additional mounting bracket, or drilling a relatively large hole into a sturdy structure such as a frame part or a bumper in a location near the hitch area that has adequate clearance behind the surface for the rearward protruding part of the receptacle and the wiring connected to it, the hole being sufficiently large to receive the female socket device, then attaching the electrical wiring to the receptacle and attaching the receptacle to the vehicle. Attaching the receptacle to the vehicle typically requires between two and four additional holes for the mounting screws.
The present invention relates to an improved female electrical receptacle system for mounting to a towing vehicle and which defines a system for electrically connecting the trailer's wiring system to that of the towing vehicle. The receptacle has a rear surface that facilitates mounting the receptacle on many different vehicles in many different possible locations. The receptacle is a surface-mount system that does not require drilling a large hole to accommodate the female socket portion of the connector. Moreover, in many cases it is not necessary to drill even a smaller hole to route wiring from the vehicle to the receptacle. The receptacle includes easy-to-use wire terminals with corresponding light emitting diode (LED) indicator lights to provide visual indication of the electrical signals from the towing vehicle and to verify correct electrical signals from the tow vehicle.